The Day of Application

Although the actual application is one of the last stages of bridal mehndi (taking into account making the booking / creating the design), it is a good way to start the series. As there is no point in booking a service which you have very little knowledge of. This post will take you through what will happen on the day, what you can do in preparation as well as some tips and tricks for your mehndi.

Where should I have my mehndi applied?

Whilst having your mehndi done on your mehndi night (if you’re having one) seems the obvious answer. I would not recommend it.  Depending on the size of the design you have chosen it will take anything between 1 to 8 hours for application. This means you will have to stay sitting away from everyone for that time as well as allowing time for the design to dry to prevent smudging.  It is also important to remember the busy environment may distract your henna artist, and people will be constantly coming to speak to you and potentially jog the henna artist. All these small things will add up and ultimately affect the quality of your henna and possibly make the process even longer. By having your bridal henna applied separately you will be able to fully enjoy your henna night!

Each henna artist has a different preference for the environment they prefer to apply henna in. So it is important to check this with your henna artist when booking with them. However generally I would recommend having your mehndi done at home or wherever you will be sleeping that night.  To achieve a dark stain it is important to keep the henna on as long as possible and travelling between different locations will make the henna crumble off even faster. It is also important for you to be comfortable in the environment as you may be there a while!

The place where you are having your bridal henna applied should be away from busy areas so you will not be regularly disturbed. It’s also useful to remind your family/ anyone that will be in the house to avoid touching and hugging you whilst your mehndi is being applied.  Depending on your henna artist the actual set up of how your henna will be applied will vary as some bring their own tables whereas others prefer using cushions.  I would recommenced having 2 chairs, a table and if possible a small foot stall ready for the henna artist to use. To help yourself not get too bored during application it can be useful to have a TV around to help distract you.

How long will it take?

This will vary depending on the henna artist and the size of the design. I have made a table showing rough timings although these can vary.

What should I wear?

You should wear comfortable lose clothing that is easy to remove. Shorts and short sleeve or sleeveless tops are recommended, but anything that can be pulled up and will stay up is fine!  It is helpful to avoid wearing anything that you would have to pull over your head to remove as it may damage the mehndi.  If you are having your mehndi done in the evening it may be convenient for you to have it applied in your pyjamas.  If you are having your henna done before a function that you will have to change for. It may be beneficial to wear any parts of the outfit that are tricky to put on whilst having your mehndi applied, for example your blouse. This will make it less likely for the henna to be damaged when changing.

A good tip as well is to make sure you have your nails painted when having your henna applied. This will protect the nail from staining as mehndi stains on nails are there until the nail grows out.

What can I do to help accommodate the henna artist?

Speak to your henna artist before hand and ask if they have any special requirements. Generally a comfortable environment with minimal distraction is optimal.

What should I do whilst the henna is being applied?

The most important thing is to listen to the henna artist and move where she tells you to move and only when she tells you to move. Sometimes people will move their arm to help the henna artist in anticipation of where they go next. Whilst your intentions are good, you and your henna artist are seeing the arm from two different perspectives and this may not be helpful. Also the sudden movement could cause a mistake. It’s best to just await instruction. You can chat with your henna artist and it helps to nicely pass the time, but please don’t be offended if your henna artist goes quiet sometimes as they may just be concentrating. If you do need to move or adjust your position let your henna artist know so she doesn’t get knocked or jogged. It may be possible to use your phone/text but it’s best to keep it to a minimum.

I hope you find this information useful.Feel free to leave any questions!

Jaz